Stay
by DoRayMiKan
Summary: After his divorce, Chase finds it hard to fall asleep. He goes to the hospital to pass some time with casework and runs into the only other person on the diagnostic team having sleeping problems. Chase/Thirteen Chirteen oneshot.


**Author's Note: I've been really getting back into House lately, and it struck me how much I LOVE Chirteen. I thought I would read some fanfictions to calm the raging fangirl within me, but a couple trips through my favorite fanfiction site showed me that these two characters as a pairing are very often portrayed out-of-character. I mean, I don't blame my fellow writers/fangirls. While writing this, I had a hard time envisioning what these two would say to each other if ever put in a romantic situation.**

**Suffice to say, I think I did an OK job. Not the best characterization, not at all, but OK.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own House or any of the characters or places associated with it. If it were me, House would have a spin-off by now focusing on Thirteen's return to Princeton Plainsborough with Chase being the head of diagnostics.**

* * *

Dr. Robert Chase sipped the goopy hospital coffee, sitting alone in the diagnostics room without the lights on and the shades drawn so that those walking in the hall wouldn't see him. He glanced at his silver watch; it read 3:34. The Australian sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. He usually wasn't the first person of House's diagnostic team to check into the hospital, especially at his hour, but this was an exception. Since he had signed and finalized the divorce papers that cut the final strings connecting him and his wife, he hadn't been able to sleep very well. To fill the void of his sleepless nights, he had begun to spend more and more time at the bar with the express purpose of picking up girls and taking them to his apartment. It was nothing more than meaningless sex and insincere words of "I'll call you sometime" to help him sleep, to help him feel alive. The night before had been one of the first times he had slept alone in his bed since the divorce, and it was not a restful sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the face of Allison Cameron, his now ex-wife. He couldn't bare those scrutinizing eyes looking at him and realizing just how much it hurt that they weren't together anymore. He'd gotten out of bed, put on a T-shirt and jeans and headed to the most familiar place to him: Princeton Plainsborough hospital.

Chase felt his eyes begin to droop; the sleepless hours were catching up to him. He shook his head, trying to stay awake, but his lack of activity was making him very sleepy very fast. He stopped fighting and let his eyes close. However, not a moment passed before Chase heard the door of the diagnostics room open. His eyes shot open and he jumped, nearly falling out of his chair. The lights flicked on to reveal the confused face of his colleague Thirteen. She was without her lab coat, wearing instead a gray blouse and skinny jeans that accentuated her long shapely legs. She languidly crossed the floor of the glass room to the kitchenette, keeping her gaze fixed on Chase. Recovering, the sleepless man asked suspiciously, "What are you doing here?" Thirteen scoffed, a humorless smile appearing on her face. "I come into the diagnostics room to get coffee to find you sitting alone in the dark and _I _get the scrutiny."

Chase stood up, stretching. "I couldn't sleep," he said in his thick Australian accent. "Thought I'd come here to finish some casework." Thirteen poured herself a cup of coffee, pondering his explanation. Lifting the cup to her lips, she sat down next to him and responded without empathy, "You could have done your paperwork at home. There's nothing at the hospital you might need to finish your case reports." She looked at him thoughtfully, her cat-like eyes glowing knowingly. "You don't want to be alone in the apartment that you shared with Cameron."

Chase flipped through his papers and rolled his eyes. "You're starting to sound like House," he challenged her. He knew how much everyone who worked for the crippled doctor didn't want to end up like him. "And what's wrong with that? So what if I don't want to stay in the apartment where she ended our extremely short marriage," he continued. Thirteen took one of his case papers and started looking over it herself, saying as if the jibe hadn't even affected her, "I have no room to judge. We all run away from the things that hurt us."

They sat without speaking for a while, the only noise being the sound of papers turning and pen on paper. Chase couldn't stop himself from glancing at the doctor next to him, realizing that she had never told him why she was there. That was just _one _of the thoughts going through his head, anyway. Ever since Thirteen had joined the diagnostics team, Chase had always thought she was one of the most attractive creatures to ever come through the hospital. Her lithe body curved in all the right places and her long brown hair shimmered in the light, not to mention she was a brilliant doctor. Her smile was rare but beautiful and her sometimes caustic humor at the expense of others showed her cleverness and quick-thinking. Chase had an intense admiration for the beautiful and intelligent woman, and she was one of the only people (and the only woman) that he felt that he could open up to. She was also the only woman he had met who had expressed absolutely no interest in him. How fitting it was that the woman who captivated him the most was the one that he couldn't seduce.

Finally, Chase decided to repeat his question. "So why _are_ you here, Thirteen?" The mysterious doctor continued flip through the paperwork, not answering for a long time. Finally she pushed the paper away from her and looked at him with her piercing gray eyes. Chase's heart beat just a little faster. "I was bored." She turned back to the papers as Chase narrowed his eyes, unhappy with the answer. He opened his mouth to reject her explanation, but Thirteen cut him off when she said, "If you're unsatisfied with that answer, I think you should ask yourself if it's really any of your business." Chase paused, taken aback by her callousness. Thirteen covered her face with her hands, inhaling and exhaling slowly before removing them. "I couldn't sleep either," she said quietly, not looking at him. All was silent. Chase wanted to press her for information, find out what was eating at her, but he held his tongue out of respect. She was a mysterious person, and she revealed her secrets as she saw fit; not even the great and powerful meddler House could wrestle secrets from her most of the time.

They went back to work.

Soon, Chase grew tired of the silence. He pulled out his iPhone and placed it on the table, motioning to it and saying, "May I?" Thirteen gave a nonchalant gesture. "Go ahead." He tapped a few times on his screen and music began to play.

_"All I want is the best for our lives my dear…"_

Thirteen stopped what she was doing and looked at Chase questioningly. "A Sunday Smile?" she asked. He looked surprised. "You know this song?" Thirteen smiled a little, looking down at the table. "This song is my alarm in the morning. What's your excuse?" Chase chuckled a little, ignoring the pang in his heart as he remembered the history he had with the song. "When Cameron and I were preparing for the wedding, I didn't know how to waltz. She knew I was obsessed with Sunday Smile, and the song is in a waltz time signature, so she used it to teach me the waltz for our wedding." The quiet music emanating from Chase's phone was all they heard as another uncomfortable silence settled between them. Thirteen interjected a comment to try to break it. "I don't know how to waltz."

Chase hesitated for a moment, pondering. Then he stood up and motioned for Thirteen to do the same. She stared at him, uncertain where he was going with the gesture. "Come one." She didn't move for another moment and then slowly stood up and faced him. "Alright," he started. "Take your right hand and put it on my shoulder, and then put your other hand in mine." She raised her eyebrow, opening her mouth slightly as if she wanted to ask him what he was doing. He shook his head. "Just trust me." Something changed in Thirteen's eyes, something that Chase couldn't put his finger on. She took his hand and placed her slender fingers on his shoulder. "Ok… Now move with me." He stepped back and forth, swaying to the waltz-like music. Their bodies were almost touching.

Thirteen stepped on his feet and they bumped into each other. They laughed for a moment and Chase got a glimpse of that beautiful smile he rarely had the pleasure of seeing. The song slowly rung to an end and they stood still, their eyes locked. Chase's iPhone, still playing, switched songs to another slow one.

_"Slowly fading away, you're lost and so afraid…"_

They had the same idea in their heads, but neither wanted to initiate it. Of course is was Thirteen who finally got the courage. She pulled him closer and wrapped her hands around his neck. He hesitantly put his hands in the small of her back and Thirteen rolled her eyes, saying, "Stop being such a girl." They swayed to the slow but powerful beat of Not Alone by Red and it wasn't long before Thirteen had leaned in and her head was inches away from Chase's chest. Her eyes were closed, and for that Chase was thankful, because he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He wanted nothing more than to lay her on the couch in the diagnostics room and make sweet love to her until the rest of the team showed up. He held her in his arms as the song grew in power. He barely held himself back and his heart leapt into his throat as he was suddenly aware of her breath on his chest. He was suddenly flashed back to dancing with Cameron and the similar feelings he felt then. But these were so much more powerful than the ones he had felt then. He closed his eyes, biting back the déjà vu.

He exhaled a name. "Remy…" She raised her head to see his peaceful face that looked like he was sleeping. "Remy…I think I want to kiss you…" Chase's eyes were still closed, as if he was avoiding what her response would be. Thirteen watched him for a long time, not saying anything. Finally, she breathed, "Then why don't you be a man and do it?" He slowly opened his eyes, looking at her with a new light. They shared a long look together, telling each other more than words could ever say.

And suddenly his lips were on hers. He cradled her face, trapping her in his strong hands as he kissed her hungrily. And oh, was she responsive. They fit together like puzzle pieces, curving into one another as the body heat radiated through their clothes. Chase felt like his heart was going to pound out of his chest when he felt her wandering hands exploring his body. They rested on his T-shirt, tearing it off of him and throwing it on the ground next to her now discarded blouse. They moved towards the couch and he fell on top of her, kissing her neck. She moaned his name.

For Chase, the rest was bliss and music.

Chase blinked awake. The early morning rays of the sun filtered in through the windows of the diagnostic room, but that's not what woke him. He was jostled as Thirteen sat on the edge of the couch, buttoning up her blouse. The Aussie sat up, smiling with true joy for the first time since the divorce. Thirteen glanced back at him, but did not return his smile. Her expression was unreadable. "Good, you're up," she said, as if nothing had happened. "The others will be here in an hour. You better get dressed." Chase looked at her confusedly as she handed him his jeans. He pulled them on, buckling his belt and thinking about what to say. Finally, as she stood up, he asked, "What's wrong?"

She looked back at him, no recognition of their experience together in her eyes. "Nothing," she said innocently. "Why?" Chase paused, bewildered at her coldness. "Well, I mean we…" he trailed off. "Didn't it mean anything?" he asked, hurt. Thirteen held still for a moment before sitting down on the couch again. "Oh, that…" she said, as if it was a secret to be ashamed of.

Thirteen looked at him, cold and closed off as ever. Not the same person Chase had danced with just a few hours ago. "I'm a rebound for you, Chase. This doesn't mean anything to you, it's just you looking for validation since Cameron left." She paused and swallowed. "I did you a favor." Chase felt as if the breath had just been knocked out of him. Thirteen, the woman who had intrigued him for a long while was treating him like some sort of charity case. Sitting with his elbows on his knees, Chase focused on his breathing, trying to stop the hammer hitting his heart. Thirteen got up. "I'm going to get something from the cafeteria." Chase's hand shot out and grabbed her hand. He looked up at her with a vulnerability that Thirteen had never seen from the handsome doctor. "No…please stay, Remy. Stay with me." It struck Thirteen that he wasn't just asking her to stay in the room.

Thirteen stayed.


End file.
